Find Greene County Bankruptcy Records
Greene County bankruptcy records are filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. This guide explains how to use PACER to search case filings, how to contact Circuit Clerk Jan Griffith in Paragould, and what other tools are available for locating court documents connected to Greene County residents and businesses.
Greene County at a Glance
Greene County Bankruptcy Court and the Eastern District
Greene County is served by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. The court's main address is 300 W. 2nd Street, Little Rock, AR 72201. Phone: 501-918-5500. All bankruptcy petitions from Greene County go through this federal court. The Eastern District covers 41 counties and processes filings through the CM/ECF electronic system. A Fayetteville divisional office also exists at 35 E. Mountain Street, Room 316, Fayetteville, AR 72701, though most Greene County cases route through Little Rock.
Chapter 7 bankruptcy is available to individuals whose income falls below the state median after a means test. It eliminates most unsecured debt and has an administrative filing fee of $78. Chapter 13 lets filers with regular income propose a repayment plan lasting three to five years. It also costs $78 to file. Chapter 11, used mainly by businesses, carries a $571 fee. The court requires a credit counseling certificate before accepting any petition and a debtor education certificate before granting a discharge.
The bankruptcy clerk's office staff cannot offer legal advice on whether to file, which chapter to choose, or how to handle specific creditors. For legal help, Greene County residents can reach out to Legal Aid of Arkansas or the Center for Arkansas Legal Services. The Arkansas Bar Association lawyer referral service connects individuals to licensed bankruptcy attorneys for initial consultations.
PACER Search for Greene County Bankruptcy Cases
PACER at pacer.uscourts.gov is the place to look for Greene County bankruptcy records. Registration is free. Provide a credit card and get same-day access, or wait up to a week for mail delivery of login credentials. After logging in, go to the Eastern District of Arkansas Bankruptcy Court and search by debtor name, case number, or last four digits of a social security number.
PACER provides the full case docket, all filed documents, creditor mailing matrices, discharge orders, and case status. The cost is $0.10 per page. Each document is capped at $3.00. Quarterly charges under $30 are typically waived entirely. For cross-court searches, the PACER Case Locator at pcl.uscourts.gov queries all federal courts nationwide at once.
For quick basic case information, the Multi-court Voice Case Information System at 1-866-222-8029 is available 24 hours a day. This free automated phone service provides case status, filing date, chapter type, trustee, and judge. No login is required. Have the debtor name or case number ready before calling.
Greene County Circuit Clerk Contact Information
Circuit Clerk Jan Griffith maintains state court records for Greene County. The office is at the Greene County Courthouse, 320 West Court St, Paragould, AR 72450. Phone: 870-239-6300. The Circuit Clerk keeps records for civil, criminal, domestic relations, and probate matters in the 2nd Judicial Circuit. Bankruptcy cases are federal and do not sit in this office, but real estate records and judgment liens do.
The Circuit Clerk also serves as the ex-officio recorder of deeds for Greene County. Deed transfers, mortgage filings, judgment liens, and UCC filings for property in the county are filed here. If a bankruptcy case involves a debtor who owned real estate in Greene County or had active liens on property, this office holds those records. Checking lien status is often an important part of preparing a Chapter 13 plan or evaluating assets in a Chapter 7 case.
In-person visits are the most reliable way to get records. Call ahead to confirm hours and whether the specific records you need have been digitized. Older records may only exist in paper. Certified copies cost more than plain copies. Requests totaling more than $25 require prepayment under Arkansas law before the clerk pulls the documents.
Arkansas CourtConnect and Greene County State Records
Arkansas CourtConnect at caseinfo.arcourts.gov lets anyone search state circuit court cases for free. For Greene County, you can search by party name or case number and get results for civil, criminal, probate, and domestic relations cases. Federal bankruptcy filings are not listed here, but the portal is a useful tool for checking prior civil judgments, divorce decrees, or other state court matters that may intersect with a bankruptcy case.
Some records may not display fully because of restrictions under Administrative Order 19. Sensitive case types, juvenile records, and sealed documents are not available online. To access restricted records, go in person to the Greene County Courthouse and ask the Circuit Clerk's staff directly. They will confirm what is available and at what cost.
What Greene County Bankruptcy Records Show
Greene County bankruptcy records contain the debtor's full name and address, the chapter filed, the filing date, and the assigned case number. Judge and trustee names are in the public docket. Creditor lists with names and addresses are filed as part of the petition schedules. Any motions, adversary complaints, or objections that arise during the case become part of the same public file.
Social security numbers are masked. Only the last four digits appear in public filings. Medical records and sealed court orders are restricted. But the core bankruptcy file is open to any PACER account holder. Business filings add more detail, including entity names, officer lists, and complete schedules of assets and liabilities. Discharge orders and dismissal entries are the last items added when a case closes.
Arkansas Exemptions for Greene County Filers
When filing bankruptcy in Greene County, residents can use either Arkansas state exemptions or federal exemptions, but not both sets together. Under Arkansas Code Section 16-66-210, the homestead exemption protects a primary residence. Urban property up to one acre and rural property up to 160 acres can be exempted, subject to value caps. Clothing, wedding rings, and a limited amount of general personal property are also protected.
Arkansas law protects Social Security income, unemployment benefits, workers' compensation payments, and state pension income from bankruptcy creditors. Federal law adds protections for qualified retirement accounts. The trustee reviews all exemption claims made by Greene County filers. Creditors have a set time window to object to any claimed exemption before it becomes final.
Nearby Counties
Greene County is in northeast Arkansas. All adjacent counties use the Eastern District bankruptcy court for federal filings.